Dear friends!

Today I met with Mr. Natan Sharansky, the chairman of the Jewish Agency ("Jewish Agency"). I would like to acquaint you with this legendary man.

Natan Sharansky is a dissident, a human rights activist, a writer, an outstanding statesman. But above all, he is a man of the epoch. Sharansky’s life is a symbol of the fight for beliefs. He was able to prove by his own example that any human or citizen could resist the system. Even during his imprisonment he became a symbol of the struggle with the Soviet totalitarian system: thousands of people, being angry with puppet trial of Sharansky, united around the world and came out for human rights. In 1977 Sharansky was arrested on charges of treason and anti-Soviet agitation. As a result he was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment: thecompletion of sentence for first three years was in prison and during following years he had to be in a forced labor camp. The Soviet Union agreed to release him only after numerous demonstrations around the world and petitions of politicians in Europe and the United States. For nine years his wife Avital made continuous efforts to release her husband. She convinced politicians and powerful Jews all over the world not to weaken the pressure on the Soviet authorities and force them to release her husband. Under the influence of the international community, the Soviet officials expressed their willingness to release Sharansky but if he personally would ask to do this for humanitarian reasons. He refused.

However the imprisonment did not break him. On the contrary, it became a kind of "starting point" confirming that he fought for the truth. "Next year in Jerusalem", said Sharansky in the court. Only on 11 February 1986, Sharansky, two West German citizens and a Czech citizen were released on the border of West Berlin. They were exchanged for Soviet spy Yevgeni Zemlyakov, Czech spies Karl Koecher and Hana Koecher arrested in the USA, Polish spy Ezgi Kachmarek and East German spy Detlef Scharfenorth

Such people like Natan Sharansky were called "prisoners of conscience". They can not live without their moral beliefs, they are not able to betray, humiliate or lie. Natan Sharansky would never call white black: many times he was on the brink of physical exhaustion, starved, appealing against injustice and lies. Either way, he was trying to wake up the sleeping consciousness of former fellow citizens, to show them that you can not be afraid of.

For years Natan Sharansky has been conducting awareness activity to unite the Israeli, to restore its traditions and ideas and among young people, to help those who want to find their own home again. In his work he is guided by the same principles as before - justice, honesty, conscience.

I am very glad that I can communicate freely with people like Natan Sharansky. I think that it would be great for each of us to have at least a tenth of that fortitude which this man has.